Finding a Nice Research Surprise in PubMed

Well, imagine our surprise when perusing the data bases of Pubmed for the latest guided imagery research, we found a U of Michiganpilot study assessing the effects of our Healthful Sleep imagery on sleep disruption and systemic inflammation in the ICU and step-down unit, following cardiac surgery (the CABG and valve replacement variety).

Even though it was a small RCT – only 20 patients in the experimental group and 20 controls – it was impeccably analyzed and written up, showing positive effects of the imagery over time, falling just short of significance. The investigators recommend guided imagery as an adjunctive resource to remediate sleep troubles and inflammation in this post-op population, and make the case for a larger study.

I wonder how many other studies are out there with our materials that we don’t know about. Eventually we catch them, once they’re published. But if you’re engaged in guided imagery research with our stuff, or know somebody who is, could you give us a heads up? We could maybe be helpful on study design or in tailoring an intervention just for the purpose of the study.

Either way, many thanks to the nurses of the U of M for doing this research, and moving the ball forward just that much further down the field, on what we know imagery can do.

And if you haven’t seen it yet, do check out what Victoria Maizes MD has to say at her TEDx talk about women’s health, fertility and environmental challenges

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Victoria, as many of you know, is the Executive Director of the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a Professor of Medicine, Family and Community Medicine and Public Health, at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Her new book, Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child, really is an essential guide.

Yoga Journal said this about it: "Whether you’re at the stage of dreaming about starting a family in the future or frantically weighing your hormone treatment options, you need to read Be Fruitful. This friendly but concise guide can steer you toward your own personal well-being sweet spot. [A] thorough and inspiring book [that] manages to be comprehensive without being overwhelming."

Psychotherapist, author and guided imagery pioneer Belleruth Naparstek is the creator of the popular Health Journeys guided imagery audio series. Her latest book on imagery and posttraumatic stress, Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal (Bantam Dell), won the Spirituality & Health Top 50 Books Award